Handmade and Sustainable, These Traditional Espadrilles From Formentera Are Worth the Wait

On the Spanish island of Formentera, where the sky is blue and the sea sparkles, you’ll find María Morcillo crafting traditional espadrilles, called espardenyes. She might be busy, but she’s not hurried—quite the contrary. Estrivancus, her three-year-old company, produces “sustainable fashion, made slowly and with love.”

Estrivancus shoes don’t have wedges and they are not made using canvas, just natural fibers and rubber; the uppers are of a cobwebby delicacy. “This footwear is very old and belongs to the culture of Ibiza and Formentera,” writes Morcillo from the island. Worn by farmers for work, the shoes were not originally intended for streetwear, and today they are considered part of the regional dress. “When I was little, I remember that all the older women wore these,” Morcillo says. “They wore the typical costumes, with skirts up to the feet, where this beautiful shoe appeared.” Their popularity ebbed with the arrival of ready-made footwear on the market, a trend this craftswoman is trying to reverse one stitch at a time. Craft, she believes, is “the new concept of luxury.”

Born in Ibiza and always interested in fashion, Morcillo was taught how to make espardenyes from a friend, who in turn had learned the art from his grandfather. The “slow and custom” assemblage of these shoes is, the designer says, “a labor of time and patience.” First the spikes of the pita, or an herbaceous plant belonging to the Mexican agave family, are cut and scraped by hand to extract their fibers, which are washed and dried before being woven into cords (cordellí). A day’s work and about 27 yards of cord are required to construct one pair of shoes. With wooden tools, Morcillo attaches the uppers to the rubber-lined jute soles. These, sometimes strung with whimsical charms or a tassel, are colored in island tones—yellow, aqua, earth—created using natural dyes made of plants and flowers. Not surprisingly, Morcillo finds inspiration in nature. Good design, she believes, “is sustainable.” In her hands, it’s enviably chic, too.